City leaders in St. Louis came to Kansas City Monday looking for ways to reduce violence in the city.

After Kansas City launched its anti-crime effort under the No Violence Alliance, the city's homicide rate in 2014 was its lowest since the 1970s. St. Louis recorded nearly 160 homicides in 2014 and is on pace to top that in 2015.

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"We're at a state of emergency in St. Louis, and we need to do something about it immediately," said St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce. "We can really compare notes on the urban strategies that we use to reduce violence. They've had a great year in Kansas City last year. St. Louis had a horrible year."

In launching the No Violence Alliance, or NoVA KC, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker warned violent offenders that the swift hammer of the law was upon them.

"We know who you are, and we know who you're associated with," she said.

NoVA KC has aimed its attention on the city's most violent criminals and neighborhoods, urging people to end associations with criminal activity. In December, police conducted a sweep and arrested more than 50 people who didn't heed the prior warnings.

Baker said NoVA KC is constantly re-evaluating and refining its efforts and still has a long way to go.

"What more can we do? Traditional efforts, we've learned, are just not enough," said Baker. "We have to find new cutting-edge ways to address violence."

Baker said that while St. Louis reached out the Kansas City this time, the two cities are often partners and work on some programs together.

"They are our sister city in almost every possible way," she said. ."We're all in this together. This is one state and we want St. Louis to be successful as it can be."

"In some respects, every jurisdiction is a little bit different, but in the core of what we do, keeping people safe and holding people accountable, every jurisdiction is the same," Joyce said.